Our Vision

EMF is an independent organisation that seeks to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice in society, and challenge the growing inequities in the world system. The Foundation works for structural change in order to increase the opportunity of those who are the least well off politically, economically and socially.

A key aspect of our work is the recognition that the public, voluntary and private sectors need to work together in order for change to take place. We therefore engage government and the private sector to enable us to act as a constituency builder for social justice.

Over the last hundred years, societies around the world have generated more wealth than in any other century in history. Yet there has been more bloodshed and greater inequities than the world has ever known. In EMF’s view to curtail such strife and suffering – we must find a way of letting more people share in the benefits of prosperity, we have to engage with the populace and governments that are committed to building a more secure and equitable future. To realise this vision we wish to build a movement to engage people around the world and to create opportunities for civil society to thrive.

Increasingly, the decisions that shape the lives of individuals, families and communities are made in distant capitals by international organisations this requires citizen participation to shift into the global arena – through alliances with grass root organisations and communities that are struggling to get their voices heard.

A key part of our strategy is building constituencies and alliances for social justice – educating and raising awareness by convening issue based dialogues, creating safe spaces for dialogue that can help overcome disunity and lessen differences.

Increasingly, we seek opportunities to support movements that bridge ideological, geographic, or thematic divides. We look for ways that grass-roots groups, non-profit intermediaries, and membership organisations can articulate common goals, build new coalitions, promote mutual accountability and learn from each other.

As countries and societies around the world undergo continual demographic change, they must wrestle with complex issues of difference and identity, religion and ethnicity, migration and citizenship. How can increasingly cosmopolitan societies govern themselves in ways that respect differences while fostering a genuine sense of the common or public interest?

At times these can seem like distant aspirations. But we have seen real progress towards these goals, as well as opportunities for continued gains.

Our efforts to promote social justice focus on four inter related fields: